Legal Definitions - four-folding

Definition: Four-folding is a historical practice where the taxable value of a property is quadrupled as a penalty for falsely underreporting its true value. For instance, in Connecticut, if a person gave a false list of their taxable property, the property's value would be increased four times on the list as punishment.

Example: In the early 19th century, Timothy Dwight wrote about the practice of four-folding in his book, Travels in New-England and New-York. He explained that in Connecticut, each town had Listers who received a list of taxable property from each inhabitant. If someone gave a false list, they would be punished by having the falsified property's value increased four-fold on the list.

Explanation: The example illustrates how four-folding was used as a penalty for those who provided false information about their taxable property. By quadrupling the property's value, the person would have to pay more taxes, which served as a deterrent for dishonesty. This practice was used to ensure that everyone paid their fair share of taxes and to discourage tax evasion.